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Officials: American Killed While Fighting for ISIS Wasn't Alone

An estimated 70 to 100 Americans have gone to Syria to join ISIS or other militant groups, U.S. officials say.

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LOUIS, SPRINGFIELD TOWARDS PADUCAH, KENTUCKY. BACK TO YOU, LESTER.
>>> JANICE HUFF, THANKS. OVERSEAS NOW AND REPORTS OF ANOTHER AMERICAN BEING KILLED WHILE FIGHTING FOR ISIS. THE SAME MILITANT WHO IS ARE ALSO HOLDING AMERICANS HOSTAGE. ALL THIS AS THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION PREPARES FOR POSSIBLE AIR STRIKES ON ISIS TARGETS IN SYRIA. OUR REPORT TONIGHT FROM CHIEF FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT RICHARD ENGEL.
>> Reporter: DOZENS OF AMERICANS HAVE JOINED MILITANT GROUPS LIKE ISIS IN SYRIA. AN ACT OF TERRORISM, EVEN TREASON. INCLUDING THIS 33-YEAR-OLD TROUBLED AS A TEEN, NINE RUN-INS WITH THE LAW, A MUSLIM CONVERT KILLED SUNDAY IN THIS FIRE FIGHT IN SYRIA. [ GUNFIRE ]
>> Reporter: HE WASN'T ALONE. U.S. LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS TELL NBC NEWS ANOTHER AMERICAN, ALSO A MEMBER OF ISIS, WAS APPARENTLY KILLED AS WELL. HE'S STILL BEING IDENTIFIED. U.S. OFFICIALS ESTIMATE 70 TO 100 AMERICANS HAVE GONE TO SYRIA TO JOIN ISIS OR OTHER MILITANT GROUPS.
>> BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE POTENTIAL IMMEDIACY OF THE THREAT OF ISIL, THAT'S ONE OF THE FACTORS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. THIS IDEA THAT FOREIGN FIGHTERS COULD GO OVER THERE, GET RADICALIZED, GET EQUIPPED, GET TRAINED AND COME BACK TO HAIR HOMELAND.
>> Reporter: EARLIER THIS MONTH ISIS BUTCHERED AMERICAN JOURNALIST JAMES FOLEY AND THREATENED TO DO THE SAME TO ANOTHER AMERICAN HOSTAGE, REPORTER STEVEN SOTLOFF.
>> STEVEN HAS NO CONTROL OVER THE ACTIONS OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. HE'S A JOURNALIST.
>> Reporter: SOTLOFF'S MOTHER POSTED A VIDEO ON ARABIC MEDIA APPEALING DIRECTLY TO THE ISIS LEADER, ABU BAKR AL BAGHDADI.
>> I ASK YOU TO PLEASE RELEASE MY CHILD.
>> Reporter: ISIS IS HARDLY A MAINSTREAM MUSLIM GROUP.
>> YOU DO A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH ON MUSLIMS CONDEMNING ISIS AND YOU'LL FIND THE FOREMOST AUTHORITIES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. THOSE PEOPLE ON A GRASSROOTS LEVEL CONDEMNING ISIS ON A WHOLE.
>> Reporter: MANY MUSLIM LEADERS SAY ISIS ATTRACTS MISFITS AND ANGRY MEN UNDER THE GUISE OF RELIGION. BUT IT'S NOTHING MORE THAN A DEATH CULT. THIS GROUP IS ABSOLUTELY VICIOUS, AND NOW THE U.S. HAS TO DECIDE, THE PRESIDENT HAS TO DECIDE, WHAT IF ANYTHING IS GOING TO BE DONE ABOUT IT. AND IT SEEMS THAT AIR STRIKES AGAINST SYRIA, AGAINST ISIS TARGETS IN THAT COUNTRY, ARE LIKELY. THE U.S. MILITARY IS NOW FLYING OBSERVATION MISSIONS TO LOOK FOR TARGETS IN SYRIA. LESTER.
>> ALL RIGHT, RICHARD, THANK YOU. ONE OF THE IRONIES IN ALL OF THIS IS THAT THE UNITED STATES NOW FINDS ITSELF ON THE OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE SAME EXTREMISTS THE ASSAD GOVERNMENT IN SYRIA IS TRYING TO STOP. OUR CHIEF FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT ANDREA MITCHELL HAS MORE ON THE AMERICAN ROLE. THIS IS TOUCHY GROUND, ANDREA.
>> IT IS INDEED. WHILE THE PRESIDENT'S MADE NO DECISION TO LAUNCH THOSE AIR STRIKES AGAINST ISIS IN SYRIA, AS RICHARD JUST POINTED OUT, HE APPROVED THOSE SURVEILLANCE FLIGHTS TO IDENTIFY TARGETS. THAT'S THE FIRST STEP DOWN THE ROAD. AND YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT, LESTER, GOING AFTER ISIS PUTS THE U.S. ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE CONFLICT AS ASSAD. BUT OFFICIALS ARE STRESSING TODAY THAT THIS IS NOT A CLASSIC CASE OF THE ENEMY OF MY ENEMY IS MY FRIEND. THEY SAY THERE WILL BE NO COORDINATION WITH ASSAD TO DEFEAT ISIS. THAT WOULD BE POLITICALLY AND DIPLOMATICALLY IMPOSSIBLE AFTER THREE YEARS OF SAYING ASSAD MUST GO. THIS WEEK SYRIA'S DEFENSE MINISTER WARNED THE U.S. NOT TO CROSS INTO SYRIAN AIR SPACE, WHICH IS WELL DEFENDED. BUT ASSAD COULD TURN A BLIND EYE TO AMERICAN AIR STRIKES TARGETING HIS WORST ENEMY. THE U.S. DID MANAGE TO FLY UNDETECTED INTO SYRIA ON THAT FAILED RESCUE MISSION TO FIND JAMES FOLEY, BUT THAT IS POSSIBLY BECAUSE THE BLACKHAWK